Mountain Adventure
by rooster dawn
Summary: Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.
1. Chapter 1

Title: _**Mountain Adventure**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: none

Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

part 1

Saturday

9 Sep 00

Labor Day Weekend

Robert's Residence

It was the Labor Day weekend, the last holiday of the summer. The Roberts were planning a cookout on Labor Day at their place for the JAG staff and their families. They wanted everyone to have a good time.

They were very concerned about two friends of theirs, Commander Harmon Rabb and Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. They were Bud's mentors and godparents to little AJ. They weren't getting along as well as they had in the past. They always seemed to be at odds with each other now.

It looked like to Bud and Harriet that Mac was seriously considering marrying Mic Brumbry. Bud and Harriet like Mic. He was a nice friendly guy, a barrel of laughs, a person who valued their friendship, but they did not like the idea of him as Mac's future husband.

Ever since Bud and Harriet had asked Harm and Mac to be little AJ's godparents they expected Harm and Mac would some day to get together and settle down as husband and wife. They were the perfect couple.

Harriet had spent many nights talking to Bud about her dream of Harm and Mac getting married and having a family together like they did. They could do the married couple thing, get together, have family picnics, and generally socialized.

Harriet wanted them to be as happy as she and Bud were, but it didn't appear as if that was going to happen now. Harm and Mac weren't very happy right now. Harriet asked Bud to invite Harm over to their house to spend the afternoon with them.

She hope Bud could somehow talk to Harm about the possibility that he could lose Mac if he didn't do something real soon to prevent it. Harriet wanted to help Harm and Mac see the light.

There was a knock on the door. Harriet was busy in the kitchen so she sent Bud to answer it. Bud went over to the door to let Harm in. He hoped this intervention would work. He was tired of listening to Harriet whining about something they had no control over.

"Good afternoon Sir. Harriet and I are glad that you could join us today." chirped Bud happily.

"Good afternoon Bud. And it's Harm outside the office, especially since we're in your own home." smiled Harm wondering if Bud would ever get it right.

"Yes Sir, errr Harm. Why don't you come in and sit down. I'll let Harriet know that you're here." replied Bud nervously. Here goes nothing he thought.

"Thank you Bud. It's nice of you to invite me." smiled Harm.

Harriet walked into the room with little AJ. Little AJ was extremely excited to see Harm. It had been a couple of months, Fourth of July was the last time to be exact. Harm had taken him to see the fireworks.

"Nice to see you Harm. Thank you for coming." greeted Harriet.

"Unci Harm, unci Harm up." pleaded little AJ. Harm bent over and picked up little AJ. AJ gave Harm a big hug.

"How are you doing little fellah?" asked Harm.

"Good, wanna play with me?" replied AJ.

"Sure little fellah, after I have a talk with your parents." smiled Harm. "They seem a little befuddled today."

"Can we talk to you Harm?" asked Bud nervously.

"Sure Bud, you know you can talk to me about anything." smiled Harm.

"Are you sure Harm?" asked Harriet anxiously.

"Yes, I'm sure. Is everything alright? You've got me a little worried here." replied Harm wondering what was wrong with his friends.

"Oh! I'm sorry Sir, it's nothing like that. We wanted to talk to you about the Colonel and ... you." replied Harriet wringing her hands with the dishtowel.

"What do you mean Harriet?" asked Harm.

"You and the Colonel don't seem to be getting along as well as you were before you went to Australia." wailed a concerned Harriet.

"She's with Bugme now and I'm with Renee." snapped Harm defensively.

"I know that Sir, but you've had relationships with other women before, but you were still able to have a good working relationship with the Colonel." whined Harriet.

"That's because we are in relationships with people right now that the other doesn't like. I don't like Bugme and he doesn't like me. Same thing with Mac and Renee. It makes it hard to socialize together outside of work Harriet." responded Harm shaking his head.

"I know that Sir, Bud has told me how you and Mic don't get along, but don't you love Sarah? You two were so happy together before you went back to flying F14's." wailed Harriet.

"Harriet, I was dating Jordan before I left to go back to flying, not Mac." replied Harm shaking his head again in disbelief.

"We weren't exactly getting along all that well back then either. We were fighting even worse then. Only difference was we kept it private."

"I know that Sir, but we all know it was Mac you really wanted. Commander Parker told us you really wanted Mac." whined Harriet.

"She did huh. I guess maybe she was right. I've been in love with Mac for a long time. Maybe since the day I first met her in the rose garden. We had to work through a lot of issues before we could be together." sighed Harm in realization.

"We still have a few more to work through."

"Like what Sir?" asked Bud.

"She has built up so many walls Harriet." replied Harm.

"Walls Sir?" asked a confused Harriet.

"Mac doesn't trust men Harriet. Her father was an abusive alcoholic who abused her and her mother. Her mother left when she was fifteen. She married a man name Chris Ragel to get away from him. Her husband Ragel kept her drinking and drunk while they were together.

The fact that she's a marine in a man's world, she knew she needed to work extra hard to get ahead and to be accepted. That's the reason she wanted everyone to call her Mac.

She wanted to make sure all her promotions were earned and not part of some program designed solely for the advancement of women in the military." explained Harm.

"She always seems to be happy to be here Sir." wailed Harriet. She thought that if Mac married Mic, she would leave JAG.

"I'm sure she has been Harriet. She has flourish here. She's one of the best lawyers I have ever known. She knows the law better than I do.

But she was still suffering from low self esteem when she first got here. It took a long time for her to become the person we all know, love, and respect today." replied Harm.

"But you did work through those issues Sir." implied Harriet.

"Apparently not Harriet. When I returned from flying she was working with Bugme and she was distant to me for a long time afterwards." moaned Harm.

"That's because you hurt her Harm." replied Bud quickly.

"How's that Bud?" asked a confused Harm.

"She missed you a lot while you were gone Harm. She confided in Harriet that she would cry herself to sleep the first three months you were gone. She was so happy when she heard that you were coming back to JAG." answered Bud.

"So what happen to make her so distant until we were in Australia, where she expressed her feelings for me? I was taken completely by surprise by her openness. I wasn't ready to talk to her about her feelings or mine." moaned Harm.

"She heard you talking to Commander Parker's answering machine the day you came back. She heard you asking Commander Parker if you could start seeing her again." continued Bud.

"You hurt her a lot Sir. She was very disappointed. I think she thought it was her turn to be with you." added Harriet.

"I never meant to hurt her, but I thought I owed Jordan the courtesy of a call to see if she wanted to get back together. The reason we broke up in the first place was because she didn't want to be involved with a naval aviator. She wanted me as a lawyer." explained Harm.

"But you did hurt her Sir. It took a long time for her to get over the hurt. It was the fourth time in the past year that you had hurt her." wailed Harriet.

"What? I've never hurt her before then." replied a puzzled Harm.

"I'm sorry to say Sir, but you have. She showed you how much she loved you when she went to Russia with you to cover your six. The Admiral was totally against it. She convinced him that you had a better chance of finding out about your father and returning safely if she went along with you since she spoke the language.

She thought the two of you bonded while you were in Russia. The second time was when she went to talk you about her husband showing up, you were with Congresswoman Laythem having dinner and who knows what else.

She really needed you that night and you weren't there for her. I think she expected you to go after her and make her talk about it." wailed Harriet.

"She said she would talk to me the next day. Bobbie and I were only having dinner to talk over the Serine gas trial." argued Harm.

"That was because she was hurt. It hurt her to see you having dinner with Congresswoman Laythem and discussing the trial. That was something that only you and she did together. It was her special connection with you.

It was a special way for her to spend time with you. She felt you were replacing her with Congresswoman Laythem. You should have gone after her. Then the next day you took Congresswoman Laythem phone call instead of getting to the bottom of what was bothering her." continued Harriet.

"At the time I didn't know how serious what she wanted to talk to me was." explained Harm.

"She followed you to Russia Sir, because you needed her and she loved you. All you had to do was follow her out the door." argued Harriet.

"I know Harriet." sighed Harm acknowledging that Harriet was right.

"Then last Christmas when she was hoping that during the holidays you would spend some quality time with her and maybe get a little closer, instead you started seeing Commander Parker.

She was really looking forward to the holidays for the first time in years. She was ready for a relationship." wailed Harriet.

"I didn't know, she was spending a lot of time with Chloe back then." sighed Harm slumping his head.

"When you left JAG it totally devastated her. She was depressed for a long time. She was very quiet and didn't socialize with anyone. When she came back from seeing you on the Patrick Henry it was the happiest I had seen her in a long time.

She was almost her old self again. When she heard that you were coming back to JAG she was so happy. Then the first thing you did when you returned was to call Commander Parker again. She thought that when you came back it would finally be her turn to be with you if you know what I mean." explained Harriet.

"I didn't know. I always thought it was wrong to be involved with someone you worked with. I enjoy working with her so much that I didn't want to give that up again. I missed being with her. I didn't realized how much I missed her until I was left.

I figured that if we got together one of us would have to leave JAG. I didn't want to leave JAG again and I didn't think it would be fair to ask her to, even though I'm sure she probably would have.

I didn't want her to leave. She has established herself quite nicely here. I was being selfish, I enjoyed all the time we spent together at work and away from work. I didn't want to give it up." reasoned Harm.

"So what happen Sir? Why did you let her get involved with Brumbry?" asked Bud.

"I didn't Bud. She made that decision all by herself. She took his ring." replied Harm.

"With all due respect Sir, As you commented when you first saw it, you said it was a friendship ring and she agreed with you." argued Bud.

"But you didn't see the kiss between them." rebutted Harm.

"You know she was only trying to make you jealous and to get you to respond." countered Bud.

"She was trying to let you know that if you weren't interested in having a relationship with her then there was someone who was. Why didn't you talk to her when you got back? She was expecting you to confront her about the ring." wailed Harriet.

"She hurt me when she went to dinner with Bugme and came back with his ring. Then there was the kiss. Well I wanted a little payback. So I decided to go out with Renee.

I thought she would wear the ring for a short while and then she would take the ring off when she saw that wearing the ring wasn't working. Then I would dump Renee. And everything would go back to normal and then we could talk."

"But she didn't take off the ring. You know she can be as stubborn a you when she thinks she's right. Although you two were getting along better." informed Bud.

"That's because I love her Bud. I can't stay mad at her for very long. I wanted to be with her. Everything was okay until Bugme came here after reserving his commission.

He began to occupy all her free time after that leaving none for us. We didn't have any time to socialized together like we did before so we became more distant because we weren't able to talk." replied Harm.

"So what are you going to do about it Harm?" asked Bud.

"If you wait much longer she may just move the ring over to her other hand." added Harriet.

"I had been sort of hoping that the longer it took her to move the ring, the more likely she never would." answered Harm.

"You know you can't rely on that Sir. You know Mic will continue to push her to move the ring over to her other hand until she finally does." argued Harriet.

"You're right Harriet. Well I guess I could invite her to go flying in Sarah for a weekend. She really likes flying in my old plane. She also loves looking at the different colors as the leaves change.

I could show her the fall foliage from the air. I know she would really enjoy that. We could have a picnic for two and talk about happen to us." mused Harm.

"She would love it Harm. I'm sure she also would love to spend some quality time alone with you too. I know she loves you." chirped Harriet happily.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: _**Mountain Adventure**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: none

Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

part 2

Monday

Labor day

Robert's House

A couple of days later the JAG staff and their families got together at the Robert's house. Everybody brought something with them for the barbeque. It would have been asking too much for one person to do all the preparations for all the amount of people who were coming.

For most of the afternoon Harm was with Renee and Mac was with Mic. But for a short period of time Harm was able to spend a little time alone with Mac. Mic liked to drink and every so often he would have to go inside to get another beer if no one offered to get more beer.

Harm sat down beside Mac. He needed to talk to her. He wanted to ask her if she would like to go flying. He was in need of some quality alone time with her.

"How are you doing Mac? This is one of the few times since last spring we've had the chance to socialize outside of work." smiled Harm.

"I'm doing okay Harm. It has been much too long. I've missed the time we used to spend together." moaned Mac.

"Me too Mac. That's why I was wondering if you would like to go flying in Sarah some weekend in the near future. We could view the fall foliage from the air. It's more spectacular from above." offered Harm.

"That would be nice Harm. I really enjoy flying in Sarah. It's so exhilarating, but I don't think Mic would like it." replied Mac.

"I thought you were your own woman." argued Harm. What had become of his marine?

"I am. I didn't say I wouldn't go with you. All I said was he wouldn't like it." replied Mac.

"Good, then it's a date." smiled Harm. He was pleased that she wanted to spend time with him.

"Okay Harm, I would like that." smiled Mac. She wondered what was going on with Harm. Was he finally coming to his senses? Was he ready to fight for her? She hoped so.

"I need to make some arrangements. I'll let you know when." smiled Harm as he got up to play with little AJ.

Over the next couple of weeks Harm had Bud do a little research on cohabitation law. He had heard from Tuna that some of the old southern states still had laws on the book about cohabitation being the same as marriage.

It took some time and effort, but Bud found a state that was perfect for what Harm had in mind. The law stated one had to live with a member of the opposite persuasion for at least two months and consecrate the relationship with a little night time activity. You were then considered legally married in the eyes of the state.

Now all Bud had to do was arranged for a place that Harm and Mac could spend the necessary time together. A week later Harm and Bud flew across eastern Kentucky to find a mountain meadow large enough to land Harm's bi-plane.

There was a cabin within easy walking distance of the meadow. Bud had located the owner of the cabin and had arranged for Harm to rent the cabin for up to two months. Harm figured he would need more than a month to work out all the problems that he had created last year.

Bud also told the owner he would contact him if Harm needed any assistance. Bud had the owner, a Mr. Duffy, stocked the cabin with enough food and firewood to last a few months.

27 Sep 00

JAG Headquarters

Bud walked over to Harm's office and knocked on the door frame before entering. He had a file with all the pertinent information that Harm needed.

"All set Sir. The cabin is yours. Mr. Duffy said you can stay as long as you want. If you let him know when you're going up there he'll stopped by at the appropriate time." informed Bud.

"Thanks Bud. I'm thinking about asking Mac to go flying with me this weekend. I'll need you to put leave papers in for us for the next week if we don't make it back.

I'll like to spend the next week and a half together with her. We should be able to settle a lot of the issues we have to deal with." replied Harm.

"Are you sure you want to go away this weekend Sir? Are you sure you want to be gone the whole week Sir? It might snow sometime next week." questioned Bud. He didn't think it was a good idea.

"That's even better Bud. If it snows then we could get snowed in and we wouldn't be able to leave. We would have to spend even more time together." smiled Harm as he envisioned that possibility.

"What should I tell the Admiral if that should happen?" asked Bud.

"You know nothing Bud. Mr. Duffy will check in on us when it's time to go home." replied Harm.

"Yes Sir." moaned Bud. He was sure this wasn't a very good idea. He feared somehow he would get blamed for it.

28 Sep 00

JAG Headquarters

Harm was getting very nervous. This was going to be the most important conversation to date that he and Mac were going to have. He looked through his office window and saw Mac busy looking through some paperwork at her desk.

He thought now was as good a time as any to go and see her so that he could talk with her. He got up from his desk and left his office. He took a deep breath and knocked on Mac's door and walked in.

Mac looked up and smiled. She always loved seeing him. There was no finer man alive. If only he loved her as much as she loved him. Harm sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Good morning Commander, may I help you with anything?" asked Mac with a gleam in her eye.

"Good morning Mac, no I don't need help with anything." replied Harm nervously.

"Then why are you here Harm?" asked Mac curiously.

"Oh, I thought I would come in and visit with the best looking marine in Washington. And to see if she would like to go flying in Sarah this weekend." answered Harm with one of his special smiles reserved only for her.

"Thank you Harm. I don't know, Mic said something about planning a get away for this weekend." replied Mac. She didn't want to get into the middle of a cock fight between Harm and Mic.

"It's been a long time since we've done anything together Mac. I know how much you like flying in Sarah, and this weekend is suppose to be the peak time for viewing the fall foliage. It's so beautiful and spectacular from the air." pleaded Harm.

"It would be nice to go flying again. I do enjoy flying in Sarah. And I would love to see the fall foliage." wailed Mac.

"So you will go flying with me this weekend?" asked Harm excitedly.

"I guess so. It would be fun to do something together. I'm sure Mic will get over it." smiled Mac.

"Thank you Mac. I'll leave you to your work. I have some arrangements to make." replied Harm.

"See you later Harm and thanks." smiled Mac.

After Harm left her office Mac leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. Harm wanted to spend time alone with her. It had been a long time since they had spent any quality time alone together.

Maybe he's starting to come around. After all he did dump the video princess a couple weeks ago. Maybe it was finally going to be her turn to be with Harm. Just maybe all will be right with the universe and her dreams could start coming true.

1900 hours

Mac's apartment

Later that evening Mic was over at Mac's place having dinner. As they ate they talked about the upcoming weekend. Mic wasn't very happy to hear that Mac was spending the weekend with Harm.

"I thought we were going away this weekend Sarah. I made reservations at a little bed and breakfast place in North Carolina." whined Mic.

"I've talked to you before about assuming Mic. I've told you to talk to me first before you go and make plans." replied Mac

"But you're my fiancee Sarah. I don't want you to be going away with Rabb." whined Mic.

"There you go again Mic, assuming. I'm not your fiancee. We are good friends. We are trying to see if we can have a relationship." sighed Mac shaking her head. When would he learn.

"We're not in an exclusive relationship Mic. I can see anyone I want to see. I can spend time with anyone I want to." explained Mac. She couldn't understand why it was that every man she dated wanted to control her every action.

"You're wearing my ring Sarah. I reserved my commission to come and be here with you." argued an angry Mic.

"You did that without consulting with me. I told you before I don't like surprises. As for the ring you told me it was a friendship ring until I decided I want it to be more." replied Mac.

"It is a friendship ring Sarah, but when you took it, it meant you were mine and not Rabb's." whined Mic in a voice that was beginning to grate on her nerves.

She was beginning to wonder why she put up with him. She was getting tired of this song and dance with Mic. Every time she needed to work with Harm, go away on an investigation with Harm, or just spend some time with Harm as a friend, Mic would get jealous and very possessive.

She was a person who enjoyed her life. She enjoyed spending time with Harriet and baby AJ. She enjoyed working and spending time with Harm. But for whatever reason, Mic seemed to want to control every aspect of her life, her free time.

He thought she should spend all her time with him. That was not going to happen. Mic was a fun guy and all, but he wasn't that interesting. It was too much work to listen to him and try to understand what he was trying to say.

"I don't belong to you or Harm, and if that's what you think then I can fix that. Here's your damm ring. Now get the hell out of here and don't come back until I tell you to! I'll call you when I'm ready to talk to you again." snapped Mac.

"But Sarah?" whined Mic.

"Out! Now Mic!" ordered Mac.

Mic gathered up all his things and stomped out. He was very angry.

"Damm you Rabb!" he yelled when he got outside.

He was interfering with him and Mac. How was she ever going to forget about Harm if he kept on giving her false hope? He wanted to go over to Rabb's place and have it out with him, but instead he went to the local pub and drowned his misery in ale.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: _**Mountain Adventure**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: none

Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

part 3

30 Sep 00

Mac's Apartment

A couple of days later Harm drove over to Mac's place to pick her up. He had stopped along the way at the local Dunkin Donut to pick up some coffee and fresh muffins. He walked up to Mac's apartment and knocked on her door.

Mac checked her hair in the mirror before hurrying over to open the door. Harm, her flyboy, was here. She was quite happy to be spending the weekend with him. It had been so long. She opened the door and with a smile and invited him in.

"Good morning flyboy. You're on time for a change." greeted Mac with a smile.

"Good morning Ninja girl. I have some coffee and fresh muffins." replied Harm returning her smile.

"Harm, that coffee smells good." grinned Mac.

"Are you packed and ready to go." asked Harm.

"Why do I need to pack?" asked Mac curiously.

"We're going away for the weekend. You might want to have a couple changes of clothes and something warm to wear in case it gets cold." explained Harm.

"I thought it was only going to be a day trip." replied Mac.

"I told you the other day we were going flying over the weekend. We'll fly for a few hours before we stop for a nice picnic. Then we'll fly up to a mountain meadow in the afternoon.

We'll trek to a mountain cabin to spend the night. We'll spend most of the day Saturday trekking through a mountain meadow and up one of the smaller mountains in the area.

We'll be taking in the scenery as we go. Then we will fly home Sunday afternoon. It will be three days of viewing the beauty of Mother Nature in the peacefulness that only the mountains can provide." informed Harm.

"It sounds wonderful Harm. It will be nice to spend some quiet time away from everyone with you without the demands of JAG and our friends. We can be ourselves." smiled Mac. She was quite please with Harm's plans.

"Well be quick about it then Marine. We're on a very tight schedule." smiled Harm.

"Aye, aye Sailor!" laughed Mac as she went into her bedroom to pack a bag for a few days.

She made sure to bring warm clothing in case Harm screwed up. She figured something was bound to happen because it usually did when she was with him. She grabbed her camera and ten rolls of film.

They arrived at the airfield about an hour later. Harm made a quick check of the plane and stowed their gear and food. They took off shortly afterwards. They flew for two and a half hours before Harm set the bi-plane down in a meadow in western Virginia.

"So how was it? Are you enjoying yourself Sarah?" asked Harm noticing the happy expression on Mac's face.

It had been a long time since he had seen her this happy. Their trip to Russia came to mind. He remembered waking up to see her in a white night gown watching him. He loved the smile she had on her face that morning.

"It's so wonderful Harm. The foliage is so spectacular. All the colors are fantastic. I'm glad you took me up in Sarah. You can't fully appreciate the mosaic of colors of the foliage from the ground. You can see so much more from the air." exclaimed Mac.

"I take it then you're please and happy." grinned Harm.

"I am Harm. And thank you Harm for letting me fly Sarah for awhile. It was a lot of fun." smiled Mac. "It gives me a sense of how you feel when you fly tomcats."

"I could see that you were having fun. It always makes me feel good to see you so happy." smiled Harm as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"When do we have to leave?" asked Mac as she felt the intensity of his look. It made her feel uneasy like school girl when being noticed for the first time by the star quarterback.

"We have time to take a little walk. I saw a little stream a half mile away as we flew over it while we were landing." smiled Harm as he held out his hand for her to take. There was a sense of excitement as she took it.

They took a short walk down to the stream. Harm laid out the blanket while Mac set out the food and plates. They ate their lunch quietly while enjoying the Mountain View and each other's company.

They stayed a while longer with Mac leaning back into Harm arms taking in the view. She felt like she was in heaven. They talk some more about what they were going to do next before returning to the plane.

They flew up to the mountain meadow and trekked to the cabin. Mac was so excited. It had been such a wonderful day. The scenery had been great and the company was even better. She had used up six rolls of film already.

Now she was going to spend the night with Harm in a mountain cabin. All she had to do was find a way to spend it in Harm's arms.

"Why don't you go into the kitchen and see if there's anything to eat while I start a fire." directed Harm. It was a little chilly in the cabin and he knew how much his Marine loved being warm.

"Okay Flyboy." replied Mac as she walked into the kitchen.

A half hour later with a roaring fire in the fireplace Harm went into the kitchen to see what Mac was up to. She was standing at the stove cooking. She had found a red apron and had put it on.

She was singing softly to herself as she was cooking dinner. Harm smiled when he saw this. She seemed to be very happy and very contented. He couldn't remember when he had ever seen her this happy.

"Hey Mac, What's up? You seem to be enjoying yourself." smiled Harm.

"I am happy Harm. It's been such a wonderful day. Flying in your bi-plane, seeing all the beautiful foliage, and the great company I have had the pleasure to be with. It has been a perfect day." sighed Mac.

"Well you know I aim to please Marine. I thought you needed a day like today. A day to enjoy, be carefree without any of the worries that the real world brings." smiled Harm.

"Yeah, it's been great to forget about everything and everybody for once. No one making demands on me or my time. It was great to have a chance to enjoy the moment and just be myself." replied a happy Mac.

"It has been a long time since I've seen you this happy." smiled Harm.

"I am happy. Why don't you get some dishes out of the cabinet and set the table." asked Mac.

"What are we having for dinner?" asked Harm.

"Some bake beans and brown bread." answered Mac.

"Isn't this what the marines eat when they're in the field?" teased Harm.

"Yes! It's good all American jarhead food." laughed Mac.

"Yeah, and they have a special song for it." chuckled Harm.

"Oh ... ? What might that be?" smiled Mac.

"Beans, beans good for the heart

the more you eat

the more you fart

the more you fart

the better you feel

now you're ready for another meal"  
laughed Harm.

"Now I know where AJ learnt that song from." chuckled Mac. "I can't say Harriet was too happy to hear him singing it."

After dinner they sat outside on the deck for an hour to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful orange and red color with a hue of yellow. It was an unbelievable sight against the backdrop of the foliage.

It was like they were in another world. A world never seen or touched by man. It was a perfect world worthy of being shared with someone you loved.

After the sun went down they went inside the cabin and made themselves comfortable in front of the fire. Mac leaned back into Harm's arms again as they encircled her. They talked for a couple more hours before they fell asleep in front of the fire.

Harm woke up a few hours later. He leaned down and picked her up. He carried her to their bed. He got in on the other side of the bed. During the night Mac rolled around in the bed until she was in Harm's arms.

She slept very deeply and peacefully. It had been a long time since she had slept that well. The next morning when she woke up she was surprised to see that she was in bed and Harm was holding her in his arms.

She looked up to see Harm looking at her. He smiled. She couldn't help but to return his smile with one of her own. What a great feeling it was being held in Harm's arms.

"How are you this morning Mac? Are you comfortable? Did you sleep well?" asked Harm.

"Yes, I'm very comfortable. I can't remember the last time I slept so well. Why did you pull me into your arms?" sighed Mac contently.

"Ha, ha, ha. You're quite amusing for a jarhead. It was you that crawled into my arms. I'm in the same spot I went to sleep in. I'm glad you had a good night sleep using me as a pillow." moaned Harm.

"I can't help it if squids are so soft." cooed Mac. She loved teasing Harm.

"Watch it marine, I may have to hurt you." teased Harm.

"Okay, okay, but you're cooking breakfast for me. There are eggs in the frig and bread in the bread box." ordered Mac.

Harm fixed them a nice western omelet, bacon, and toast. They talked about their plans for the day while they ate. After breakfast Mac packed them a lunch. She and Harm hiked along some mountain trails and through some meadows.

Mac took some pictures as she trekked along. She wanted to share with Carolyn and Harriet the beautiful fall foliage that she was seeing. She had taken several rolls of film yesterday while they were flying.

She wanted to show the contrast between the foliage of the coastal areas and the mountains. The colors were so much deeper and brighter in the mountains. Probably because of the lack of pollution from the cities.

After a few hours of walking they came upon a small stream. Mac spread a small blanket and set up their lunch. They talked about what a beautiful day it was. How great the foliage and the mountains were. It was so peaceful and quiet. It was like they were in a world all their own.

"It's so peaceful here Harm, Wouldn't it be nice to stay here for a few more days?" sighed Mac. She was so happy. She closed her eyes enjoying the sun on her face.

"Yeah, it is nice here. All the troubles of the world seemed to have disappeared. No yelling or screaming why are you? Why not? If you like we can stay here as long as you want." replied Harm. He hoped she wanted to stay.

"We have to be back at work Monday." whined Mac.

"Not if you don't want to. I have arranged with Bud to put us in for leave next week if he doesn't hear from me by tomorrow night." smiled Harm.

"That was pretty presumptuous of you Harmon." teased Mac.

She was glad Harm had the foresight to give them options. She had enjoyed the last two days with Harm. She wasn't ready to give up spending time with him just yet.

"Not really. I like to keep all my options open. You appeared to need some quality time away. You seemed to have been stressed out as if you weren't having any fun in your life. If you want to stay here longer there's plenty of food and firewood in the cabin. offered Harm.

"I wouldn't mind staying here for a few more days. I feel so rejuvenated. I haven't felt this good in a long time. A week of this peace and quiet and I'll be a new woman." smiled Mac.

"It's nice to see you this way. So you want to stay?" asked Harm.

"Yes I would like to stay longer." replied Mac. She was having a hard time believing that Harm wanted to be with her, that he wanted to spend more time with her.

They spent the next six days hanging out and talking. They took long walks through the mountain trails and meadows. They talked about their adventures the first several years together, their trip to Russia, the Iranian desert.

They talk about what their time together meant to Harm and what it meant to Mac. Then they talked about the last year, what had gone wrong. They talked about why she took the ring and why he went to Renee upon their return.

"I heard that you ended your relationship with Renee. I'm sorry Harm." offered Mac.

"Don't be. I'm not. She was fun to be with for awhile, but she wasn't someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. How about you and Mic?" asked Harm.

"As if you haven't noticed." responded Mac.

"Notice what?" asked Harm feigning ignorance.

"That I'm not wearing his ring." answered Mac.

"It wasn't for me to say anything." acknowledged Harm.

"Well he keeps assuming that I'm his fiancee because I've been wearing his ring. He thought that he was entitled to all my free time, that he could tell me who I could see and what I could do.

I told him I was going to go flying with you this weekend. He told me I couldn't because I was his girl and not yours. He thought I shouldn't be spending my free time with you, but with him." declared Mac.

"What did you do?" asked Harm.

"I told him that he didn't own me. I could see anyone and do anything I wanted to do. And if that was a problem for him, then too bad. I gave him back his ring and I told him I would call him when I got back or when I was ready to talk to him." snarled Mac.

"So what are you going to tell him?" asked Harm.

"That it's over between us. I don't love him the way he loves me. I think he should go back to Australia. I love you Harm. I always have and I always will." replied Mac.

"I love you too Sarah." replied Harm as he leaned in and kissed her.

They spent the rest of the week sleeping together with Mac in Harm's arms. Mac was in heaven. She finally had everything she ever wanted, Harmon Rabb Jr., the man of her dreams. His arms were so strong and she felt so secure. She didn't want it to ever end.

They were going to fly back home tomorrow morning and spend the weekend at Harm's place to plan what they were going to do in the near future. Should they keep their newfound relationship a secret or should they let the Admiral know?

That night Harm went out to the meadow to check out his bi-plane to make sure everything was alright. When he was done he and Mac had a late dinner and fell asleep in front of the fire. During the night it began to snow.

When Harm and Mac woke up the next morning they were surprised to see a foot of snow on the ground and it was still snowing. All of a sudden they realized their plans had changed. There was no way they would be flying home today.

"Wow! Look at it snow." exclaimed Harm looking out the door.

"Harm, what are we going to do? There must be over a foot of snow on the ground and it's still coming down." wailed Mac.

"How are we going to get back? Does anyone know where they are?"

"I guess there isn't anything we can do but sit tight Mac. Bud knows the owner of the cabin. I'm sure Bud will get a hold of him to let him know that we are here." replied Harm as he tried to reassure her.

"When do you think that will happen?" asked Mac.

"I don't know Sarah, I don't know. Bud won't know that we're not back until at least Monday morning when we're suppose to be back from leave. And even then he might not think about us until someone asks." answered Harm.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: _**Mountain Adventure**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: none

Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

part 4

14 Oct 00

JAG Headquarters

The Admiral was pacing back and forth in his office. He was steaming mad. He wasn't very happy about Harm and Mac taking leave last week without asking him for permission before hand, but now they were late arriving today. Where the hell were they? They were long overdue.

He wanted to start his weekly briefing. He knew they both needed some time away. They had been at each other's throats a lot the last few months. He figured that maybe they would be working out their problems while they were away. He called for Gunny.

"Gunny! Do you know where Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie are? Are they coming in today or what?" yelled the Admiral.

"I don't know Sir. I haven't heard anything. They aren't answering their telephones Sir." replied Gunny. 'I wonder what crawled up his six this weekend.'

"Why don't you drive out to the Commander's and/or the Colonel's apartments and see if they are back or not. See if anything has happened to them. And Gunny, on your way out send Lieutenant Roberts in." ordered the Admiral.

Ten minutes later Lieutenant Roberts stumbled into the Admiral's office. Bud was very nervous, he was scared. He hated it when the Admiral wanted to see him, especially when he didn't know what the Admiral wanted.

Unfortunately this time he had an idea of what the Admiral wanted. He figured the Admiral wanted to know where the Commander and Colonel were, but there wasn't anything he could tell the him.

He had been the one who had put in their leave requests. If anyone knew what their plans were, it would be him. The Admiral was sure to grill him on that little bit of knowledge.

But he promised the Commander he wouldn't say anything. He had to delay the Admiral as much as possible, but not let the Admiral become too suspicious. He wasn't sure what he was going to do.

"Lieutenant Roberts reporting as ordered Sir." reported Bud standing at attention.

"Where is he Lieutenant?" asked the Admiral in a tone that said he meant business.

"Who Sir?" replied Bud playing dumb. 'Stall!' he thought to himself.

"You know whom I'm talking about Lieutenant! Don't play games with me." bellowed the Admiral.

"You mean Commander Rabb Sir?" asked Bud feigning ignorance.

"Yes Lieutenant. Where is he?" asked the Admiral.

"I don't know Sir. I've been trying to get a hold of him all weekend. When he left he told me to put in leave papers for him and the Colonel if he wasn't back by that Sunday Sir." replied Bud.

"Where did he say he was going?" asked the Admiral.

"He said something about going flying over the weekend Sir." replied Bud.

"Did he take the Colonel with him?" asked the Admiral.

"I ... believe so Sir. I believe ... he did say something about taking her flying in his bi-plane. I believe ... they were going to view the fall foliage from the air." answered Bud.

"Where did they go Lieutenant?" asked the Admiral.

"He said something about the western part of the state Sir." replied Bud.

"Which state Lieutenant?" asked the Admiral getting a little tire with this cat and mouse game.

"I would assume Virginia Sir." sighed Bud as he began to pick up on the Admiral's impatience.

"Do you know where they are Lieutenant?" asked the Admiral.

"No Sir. I was expecting to hear from him on Saturday." replied Bud.

"When the Gunny gets back I want you to work with him to find out where the Commander and Colonel are." bellowed the Admiral.

"Yes Sir." whined Bud before scurrying back to his office to hide.

1 Nov 00

Mountain cabin

Two weeks later Harm and Mac were still at the cabin. They hadn't seen or heard from anyone. Mac was beginning to worry that they would be stuck there until spring or until the snow melted.

She wondered what the Admiral was thinking. Would he Court Marshall them both for being gone? How were they going to explain this? How were they going to get out of all the trouble they surely must be in?

But then again she really didn't care, she was very happy. She had spent the last three and a half weeks alone in a mountain cabin with Harm. They hadn't fought once about anything.

Harm had told her it might be awhile before anyone did show up. They were isolated, high up in the mountains, he didn't even know if there were any roads that led up to the cabin and if there were, how far away would they be.

They hadn't seen any roads during their excursions the week before it snowed. In fact they hadn't seen any other signs of civilization. Even now when they went outside for some fresh air, they didn't see any smoke from someone heating their cabin.

The good news was they had cleared up all their issues. Harm had told her that he loved her. She was so happy. They hadn't made love yet, but she thought she was finally ready to do so with Harm. The time felt right.

11 Nov 00

Bud's Office

Bud and Gunny had been working together for several weeks to find out the location of where Harm and Mac were staying. Finally one day while they were checking Harm's mail, they found his bank statement. There was a payment check to a Mr. Duffy.

It took them a couple of days to track down Mr. Duffy. Bud wasn't exactly helping Gunny much. He spent a week checking out all the Duffy's living in Virginia. He didn't want to find him too soon even though he knew where Mr. Duffy lived.

It made sense to Gunny. He couldn't imagine Harm contacting someone out of state. Even though Harm and Mac were on leave, they had to stay within shouting distance of headquarters in case of emergencies.

Finally Bud found the correct address for Mr. Duffy. He had checked out all the Duffys living in Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina first. Mr. Duffy lived in Lexington, Kentucky.

Bud gave him a call. Bud told him that Harm and Mac hadn't returned from their trip to his mountain cabin yet. He wondered if they were still at the mountain cabin. Bud was afraid that they might have been snowed in.

Mr. Duffy agreed to have the cabin checked out to see if Harm and Mac were still there at the cabin, but he wasn't sure when that would be. The weather was unpredictable this time of year. They were expecting more snow.

12 Nov 00

JAG Headquarters

The Admiral was in his office thinking. He was wondering where Harm and Mac were. Were they alright? He hoped that they were getting along. Harm and Mac weren't acting like the good friends they used to be.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when Tiner buzzed his office to tell him Bud needed to see him. He hoped it was good news. He didn't like the idea that his two best people had been missing this long.

"So what's the story Lieutenant." asked the Admiral.

"It seems that Commander Rabb rented a mountain cabin from a Mr. Duffy for a week to ten days last month. The cabin is in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.

He assumed that they left before the snow storm hit the area since Harm had flown up there in his bi-plane. There aren't any roads that lead directly to the cabin. The nearest road was twenty miles away." replied Bud.

"Does he know if the Commander and Colonel are still there at the cabin?" asked the Admiral.

"No Sir, he doesn't. He has a trapper friend, a Mr. Johnson, who lives up in the mountains during the winter. He might be in the area.

Mr. Duffy is going to have Mr. Johnson go up to the cabin to see if the Commander and Colonel are still there at the cabin Sir. With all the snow they have gotten recently Sir, it will take a few days for Mr. Johnson to check out the cabin, Sir." replied Bud.

"Let me know when you find out anything." replied the Admiral.

"Yes Sir." replied Bud.

18 Nov 00

Mountain cabin

A week later there was a knock on the cabin door. Harm went to answer it. He was surprised to see a man standing there dressed in animal skins with snow shoes on his feet.

"Hello, may I help you?" asked Harm.

"Hello, my name is Billy Joe Johnson. I saw some smoke coming from your chimney. I thought I'd check it out. I'm a friend of Mr. Duffy." greeted Billy Joe.

"Why don't you come in and warm yourself by the fire. My name is Harmon Rabb. This is Sarah MacKenzie." greeted Harm.

"Nice to meet you Harm, Sarah." smiled Billy Joe.

"Why don't you join us for lunch. It's almost ready." offered Mac.

"Thank you Ma'am." he replied.

Billy Joe joined them for lunch. He told Harm and Mac that he was on foot. He also told them that he was a trapper with a cabin a few miles away. He was out checking on his line of traps. Unfortunately he didn't have any gear with him to get them out.

He would let Mr. Duffy know that they were still in the cabin after he finish making his rounds to check his traps. It would take a few days before he headed into town. He would call Mr. Duffy to let him know that they were there and alright.

24 Nov 00

Bud's Office

A few days before Thanksgiving Bud received a phone call from Mr. Duffy. He felt some relief. He didn't know what was happening with Harm and Mac. He had been worried that something might have happened.

He had no way of knowing or checking about their status. He had to take it on faith that the Commander would take care of the Colonel, that he would never let anything happen to her.

"Hello, this is Lieutenant Bud Roberts." answered Bud.

"Billie Joe just got back to town. He tells me your friends are still up in the cabin. What happened Mr. Roberts? Didn't they know about the snow storm that was coming." asked Mr. Duffy.

"No Sir. They didn't take a phone or radio with them. They wanted to get completely away from everybody and everything for the week. They didn't want any interruptions." replied Bud.

"Well I can't do anything for them until after the holiday. I have too many things going on around here. Also the roads are impassable up in them mountains. I'll have to wait until the plows clear the roads." offered Mr. Duffy.

"How long will that be Sir?" asked Bud knowing that the Admiral would want to know as much as possible.

"I'd say about another week Bud." answered Mr. Duffy.

Bud hung up the phone and went to see the Admiral. He knew the Admiral wasn't going to like the idea that it would be another week before the Commander and Colonel would be returning. He shuddered as he walked along.

He told the Admiral that he had received a phone call from Mr. Duffy. He had heard from his friend that the Commander and Colonel were still at the mountain cabin. They were safe and okay.

Mr. Duffy would be going up to the mountain cabin after the holiday to get them. He had to wait until the roads were cleared. They should be back in a week to ten days.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: _**Mountain Adventure**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: none

Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

__

Author's note: Thanks for the note about how much snow falls in Kentucky. I believe you, but we're talking about the mountains, which usually gets more snow.

Author's note #2: I went to basic training in Fort Knox Kentucky back in February 1977. It was the coldest winter in many years. The rivers all froze over. There was snow on the ground. We spent very time outside because it was so cold. It did warm up by March.

part 5

27 Nov 00

Thanksgiving day

at the Admiral's house

The JAG staff and families gathered at the Admiral's house for Thanksgiving. Everyone wanted to be together. They were all concerned about Harm and Mac. They were all very worried.

Where were they? Were they alright? When would they be coming back? The Admiral led them in prayer for Harm and Mac. They all wished for a safe return for Harm and Mac.

The Admiral decided to address his guests before they ate dinner. It had been a rough two months for the staff. You couldn't make up for the lost of two senior officers. All you could hoped to do was to survive.

"Thank you all for coming. It has been a difficult couple of months for all of us. Two members of our family have been missing for weeks. We didn't know if they were alive or dead. All we could hope for was that they would take care of each other.

Last week we found out that they were safe and okay. Now let me warn all of you that if any of you ever pull a stunt like Commander Rabb did, you will be charge with desertion and spend the next twenty years in Leavenworth.

You are supposed to leave a number that you can be reach at when you go on leave. You're supposed to be within a normal travel day of your duty assignment in case your unit needs to ship out.

Let's all give thanks that Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie are alive and well and that they will be back with us shortly."

1 Dec 00

Mountain cabin

It had been nearly nine weeks since Harm and Mac were snowed in. Mac was beginning to worry. Their food supply was starting to dwindle. She figured that they had a two week supply left, maybe three if they started to ration their remaining food.

She had sent Harm out a few times to get additional firewood that was stacked one hundred feet from the cabin. Harm wasn't very happy about this because he lacked the proper footwear to go trekking through the two and a half feet of snow.

They were fortunate that there was plenty of firewood. Though Harm had to split all the wood he had to retrieved. Mac was hoping someone would show up soon.

As much as she was beginning to worry she had never been happier in her life. She was with the man of her dreams and he was doing everything possible to make her happy. At first she had resisted the urge to make love with Harm.

She had been contented to just snuggle with him in his arms. She was sleeping like a baby. It had been a long time since she slept this well. But after three weeks of being alone with Harm and sleeping in his arms, Mac asked Harm to make love to her.

He asked her if she was sure that this was what she wanted. He would wait for as long as necessary until she was sure that making love to her was what she wanted. She told him that she was sure. She was ready to make love with him.

They spent the next five weeks talking about the past, the present, and the future. At night they made love. It had been even better than she could have imagined. Making love with the man she loved was so much better then anything she had ever experience before.

She was glad she had waited for Harm. She knew now that she had made the right decision when she gave Mic his ring back. If there ever was any doubt who she truly loved, there wasn't any now.

7 Dec 00

Mountain cabin

A few days later there was a knock on the door. Mac went over to open it. There were two men standing there. They were dress in heavy winter clothing. There appeared to be two snowmobiles in the background.

"May I help you?" asked Mac. She wondered who they were, but was hopeful they were here to rescue them.

"Hi, my name is Mr. Duffy, and this is Rev Jones. You must be Colonel MacKenzie. Is Commander Rabb here?" replied Mr. Duffy.

"Yes Sir, I'm Colonel MacKenzie. Harm is in the other room. Why are you here and how do you know our names?" asked Mac.

"I'm the owner of this cabin. I rented the cabin to Commander Rabb. I received a call from a Lieutenant Roberts, he said that you both were still up here and you hadn't returned.

I know I had stock this cabin with two to three months worth of food. I'm sure you could be running out of food pretty soon." replied Mr. Duffy.

"How long ago did you receive Lieutenant Roberts call?" asked Mac a little confused.

"About three weeks ago. I got in touch with Billy Joe. As you know he's a trapper up here in these mountains. He was going to check his traps so I had him check in on you." replied Mr. Duffy.

"Yeah, we met him. He is a nice gentleman." smiled Mac.

"He let me know a few days later that you were still up here. I called Lieutenant Roberts to let him know that you were okay and that you were still in the cabin." informed Mr. Duffy.

"Why has it taken you so long to get up here?" asked Mac.

"As you know it has been snowing constantly over the last ten days. It took me a couple of days to get to the city. Another day to round up the supplies. Then another day to get to Beaconville. It's a small town fifty miles from here.

We had to wait a couple of days for them to plow the roads so we could reach the base of the mountain. We used snowmobiles to cover the last twenty miles up the mountain to the cabin with the supplies." explained Mr. Duffy.

"Well it's good to see you My Duffy. I will go out and help you bring in the supplies." greeted Harm.

"That won't be necessary Commander. Rev Jones needs to talk to the both of you." ordered Mr. Duffy.

"I have a few questions that I need to ask both of you." began Rev Jones.

"Go ahead." ordered Mac.

"I need your name, date of birth and social security number." directed Rev Jones.

"Sarah Catherine MacKenzie, 14 June 67, 015236621" answered Mac.

"Harmon David Rabb Jr., 14 Oct 64, 011221337" answered Harm.

"How long have you two been living here together in this cabin?" asked Rev Jones.

"I would say about ten weeks. I'm not exactly sure." replied Harm.

"Ten weeks, two days, fourteen hours, and twenty three minutes." corrected Mac.

"Have you been intimate?" asked Rev Jones.

"What kind of question is that Rev Jones?" asked Mac a bit huffy.

"I need to know if you've been living together as man and wife." replied Rev Jones.

"We have been intimate." replied Harm looking at Mac.

"I need you both to sign this document." directed Rev Jones.

"What is it?" asked Mac curiously.

"It's a marriage license, you don't expect us to sign this do you?" demanded Harm.

"Yes, I do. It's the law in this state. Cohabitation in a domicile for a period of two months or more along with sexual relations constitutes that the couple is living together as man and wife.

This state recognizes the couple as being legally married. So I need your signature on this document." ordered Rev Jones.

Harm and Mac signed the document. Rev Jones pronounced them man and wife. He gave them both a wedding band to put on their left ring finger. Harm and Mac gathered up their gear and loaded it onto one of the snowmobile.

Mr. Duffy gave them some winter clothing to put on to protect them from the winter weather while riding on the snowmobiles. Mac climbed aboard one of the snowmobiles behind Harm.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Rabb are you ready to get back to civilization?" asked Mr. Duffy.

"Yes Sir. We are." replied Harm.

They headed back to town. It took a couple of hours for them to get down the mountain to the highway. They rode back in Mr. Duffy's SUV. They arrived shortly before nightfall. They rented a room for the night.

After dinner Harm called the Admiral to let him know that they were okay and where they were. He also told the Admiral that they would be arriving at Dulles International tomorrow morning.

The Admiral was glad to hear from Harm and was happy that they were safe and okay. Everyone at JAG had been worried about them. They had all said a little prayer for them at JAG's Thanksgiving dinner asking that they be alright. Mac cuddled in Harm's arms for the night and slept peacefully.

"How are you doing Mac? Are you glad to out of the cabin and heading home?" asked Harm.

"Yes, I am. We've been gone for a long time. I've missed everyone, but I wouldn't have traded the time we've spent together for anything in the world. It has been the best time of my life. I've loved spending all of this time alone with you." replied Mac as she leaned up to give him a kiss.

"I've enjoyed the time we've spent together too. It was a very peaceful and spiritual experience. We'll have to do it again some time, only for a shorter period the next time.

I'm sorry we got snowed in. It was poor planning on my part, but I felt that we needed to spend some time alone to talk about what had happened to us the past year." replied Harm as he returned her kiss.

"I agree. Our relationship hasn't been the same since what happened in Australia. We really needed to talk about what happened there, but then you started dating Renee when we got back.

The reason I kept the ring on was to let you know what I wanted from you and where I wanted our relationship to proceed to. It was never my intention to get engaged to Mic." explained Mac.

"I know you're right. I was hurt after you returned with his ring, but I was hurt more so by the way you kissed him goodbye. All I wanted to do then was to hurt you. That is why I started dating Renee.

Then you didn't take off the ring. I'm sorry that I stop communicating. It only hurt me more not to talk to you." sighed Harm.

"I'm sorry too. I should have made you talk about it. We wasted so much time. But we're together now. That's the only thing that's important. That is if you still want to be married to me?" sighed Mac.

"Although I'm not happy about how we became man and wife, there is nothing more in the world I want more then to be married to you.

When we get back to JAG we're going to have to tell the Admiral that we're married. Hopefully he'll let us work together in some capacity." moaned Harm.

"I'm sure Carolyn and Harriet will be happy to hear that we're married. They have been after me for quite some time to tell you that I love you." smiled Mac.

"So will my mother. She always asks me about you. When am I going to marry you? I'm getting old and I am waiting for a grandchild." wailed Harm.

"She's an intelligent lady, too bad she didn't pass along more of her intelligence to her son." laughed Mac.

"Funny ninja girl, real funny." pouted Harm.

"That's right flyboy. I'm a funny girl. It's time to get some sleep. Morning will be here soon enough." ordered Mac.

"Good night Sarah, I love you." whispered Harm.

"I love you too Harm." whispered Mac.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: _**Mountain Adventure**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: none

Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_part 6_

The next morning Mr. Duffy picked Harm and Mac up at the hotel and gave them a ride to the airport. They thanked him for the used of the cabin and Harm told him a check would be in the mail for what he owed him.

They flew back to Dulles International. They arrived shortly after eleven hundred hours. They took a cab to Mac's place. She changed into her uniform while Harm ordered one of their special pizza.

She packed an overnight bag and they left to go to Harm's place. They pick up the pizza on the way to Harm's place. While Harm changed into his uniform Mac set the table for lunch.

"Lunch ready?" asked Harm.

"Yes, It's so good to be back." sighed Mac.

"Yeah. I almost didn't recognize the place. After work we need to go to the airfield to pick up my car." agreed Harm.

"Then we can come back here for dinner. We can discuss where we're going to live and what our future holds for us." continued Mac.

"Yes, but for now we better get to the office. We need to talk with the Admiral." moaned Harm.

"Yeah, hopefully he won't send us to Alaska or Iceland." moaned Mac.

"I think he'll understand and be happy for us when we tell him we're married." smiled Harm.

"Okay, I hope so, let's go Harm." ordered Mac.

1300 hours

8 Dec 00

JAG Headquarters

Harm and Mac drove to JAG headquarters. When they got there they took a deep breath and sighed. They were home. There wasn't any place they rather be. They went into the building and took the elevator up to their offices.

How were they going to be received? Would the Admiral be angry or would he just be happy they were alive and well? They didn't know the answers, they could only hope for the best.

They walked into the bullpen area. They were almost to their offices when someone yelled out they're back. Everyone came over and greeted them and told them how much they missed them.

They all were very excited. The Admiral heard the commotion and came out of his office. What the hell was going on? Office decorum had been going down hill recently. Where was the professionalism that he had worked so hard to establish over the years?

"What's going on out here? What's all the commotion?" bellowed the Admiral.

"The Commander and Colonel are back Sir." replied Tiner elatedly.

"Rabb, MacKenzie in my office. The rest of you as you were." ordered the Admiral.

"Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie reporting Sir." barked Harm.

"At ease. Have a seat. Where the hell have you two been?" bellowed the Admiral.

"We were stranded in a mountain cabin Sir. It snowed two feet the night before we were set to leave. By then there was no way I could fly my bi-plane out of there with over a two feet of snow on the ground Sir." replied Harm.

"And we didn't have the proper gear to hike out of the mountains Sir." Mac.

"I expect better from the two of you. You should have taken the proper precautions before you left. So how have you been?" chastised the Admiral.

"Good Sir. Though we were starting to worry." replied Harm.

"We didn't know if we were going to be rescue. It was over two months before someone found us Sir." added Mac.

"We were starting to run low on food and firewood Sir." continued Harm.

"And we didn't have the proper gear to trek through the mountains Sir." finished Mac.

"It sounds like the both of you had quite the adventure. I see you two must have work out your difficulties." smiled the Admiral.

"How's that Sir?" asked Harm though he had an idea.

"I see that you're finishing each other's thoughts again like you two used to. It took quite a while for Lieutenant Roberts and Gunny Sergeant Galindez to find out where you were.

It was your payment to Mr. Duffy that came back with your bank statement that allowed us to locate him. It allowed us to let him know that you were still at the mountain cabin. I'm surprised that it took him as long as he did to finally get you." explained the Admiral.

"He contacted a friend who travels through the mountains Sir. He found us in the cabin and later notified Mr. Duffy. He told us with all of the snow we received in the mountains it made travel very difficult Sir.

It must have snowed every other day for a while. They had to wait for all the snow drifts to settle before they were able to go up into the mountains after us Sir." replied Harm.

"So what happen up there." asked the Admiral.

"I needed to talk to Mac, to square away some of our problems. So I invited her to go flying with me to see the fall foliage. It's quite an experience to see it from the air Sir.

I thought it would help set the mood and allow us both to relax. We would be more able to talk about what had been happening to us the past year Sir." explained Harm.

"I was having a really good time and I didn't want to leave Sir. I was able to relax and have some quality time with Harm. We talked and we were making good progress Sir.

Harm told me we didn't have to leave. He had the cabin for the next week if I wanted to stay Sir. He had arranged with Bud to put in leave papers for us if he didn't hear from Harm by Sunday Sir." added Mac.

"I wasn't too please when he did that. I like to approve all leave request before any of my people go on leave. You left us very short handed here. On top of that you didn't let anyone know where you were going to be.

You put the lieutenant in a very bad position. It makes it easier to balance the workload when I know when people are going to be out on leave. Why didn't you return at the end of your leave?" asked the Admiral.

"Sorry Sir, but it couldn't be help. Mac and I need to spend time together away from the office, away from everyone and everything. We needed to work out our problems Sir. We couldn't continue to work together if we didn't." answered Harm

"We spent the week trekking through the mountain trails and meadows checking out the mountain foliage. It's much different than lower down in the valley Sir. On Thursday afternoon Harm checked out the plane for the flight home Friday morning. He had everything set and ready to go Sir." replied Mac.

"We went to bed that night Sir. When we woke up the next morning it was snowing. There was already a foot of snow on the ground Sir." explained Harm.

"Weren't you aware that it was going to snow? They had been talking about it all week. It was suppose to snow for the whole weekend." argued the Admiral.

"We had no way of knowing Sir. The cabin we were staying in didn't have a radio or television. It only had a generator for a couple of lights and refrigerator Sir." replied Harm.

"We had to heat the cabin with the firewood left by the owner. It usually was a little cold in the morning Sir." added Mac.

"It sounds like you were roughing it. It must have been tough to be there for two months without a radio and television. Why didn't you take your cell phone?" asked Admiral not sure what to think.

"We didn't want to be disturb Sir. We needed to focus all of our attention on resolving the issues that were interfering with our working relationship." replied Harm.

"I'm a marine Sir, I can handle anything Sir. Even flyboy here managed quite well. Besides the cell phone wouldn't have worked in the mountains anyway Sir." added Mac.

"She had me doing the cooking and chopping firewood Sir." moaned Harm.

"Well we all know the Colonel isn't a very good cook." replied the Admiral with a smile.

"Well he did say he would take care of everything Sir. That all I had to do was sit back and relax and have fun. By the way Sir I can cook, I just don't like to cook for one." corrected Mac.

"I always keep my word Mac." smiled Harm.

"Do you have anything else to tell me?" asked the Admiral.

"Yes Sir. It seems that the state of Kentucky had a very unique law." sighed Mac.

"It's their version of the cohabitation law Sir." added Harm.

"What does their cohabitation law entail?" asked the Admiral.

"If you live together as man and wife for two months they consider you legally married." smiled Mac.

"And how were the two of you living together as man and wife? You weren't even speaking to each other when you left. Don't you have to have sexual relations as part of being married?" asked the Admiral curiously.

"Well Sir at first we didn't, but over time we became closer and finally we expressed our desire for one another. We had a sexual relationship for about six weeks Sir." replied Harm.

"So what does this mean Rabb?" asked the Admiral.

"Sir, it means that we're married." replied Mac expecting the Admiral to explode.

"Well it about time you two saw the light. Congratulations." the Admiral smiled.

"Thank you Sir, We would still like to work together in some capacity." replied Harm.

"I think that can be arranged. I've had a plan that I worked out with SecNav awhile back. We've been waiting four years to put it to work." the Admiral smiled.

"What do you mean four years Sir?" asked Mac.

"It was apparent to us that someday you two would get together particularly when you went with Rabb to Russia." relied the Admiral.

"Thank you Sir." smiled Harm happy that things appeared to be going their way.

"Thank the SecNav, he knows the Colonel is the only one who can control you Commander and keep you out of trouble. What am I going to do now that I have two Rabbs. One Rabb was bad enough." moaned Admiral.

"Yes Sir." smiled Harm and Mac.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: _**Mountain Adventure**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

Rating: G

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: none

Summary: Harm and Mac go flying in the mountains to see the fall foliage. They get snowed in with unexpected results.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed._

_part 7_

Later that day Mac went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. As she was getting ready to return to her office Carolyn and Harriet joined her in the kitchen. They were very happy to see her.

They hadn't seen her in a very long time and they were interested to know how it was to be alone with the Commander for so long. They knew the Commander was the man of Mac's dreams.

They wanted to know what had happen during their time away. Did she make up with him? Then they noticed something shiny on her finger. It wasn't an engagement ring and it wasn't on her right hand. It was a gold wedding band. Was she married? Had she married the Commander while they were gone?

"Good afternoon Ma'am, welcome back." chirped Harriet.

"Good afternoon Sarah, It's nice to have you back at JAG. The work load has been unbearable with you and Harm gone." informed Carolyn.

"Hi Carolyn, Harriet. I'm sorry about that Carolyn. Harm and I were planning on returning the day it snowed, but we were snowed in for over two months." replied Mac.

"Have you talked to Mic since you've been back Ma'am. He's been really worried about you. He's been in here almost every day since you've been gone." asked a nosy Harriet pretending to be helpful.

"No Harriet. Harm and I just got back late this morning. We only had time to change and grab a bit to eat before we came here. We have to go to the airfield after work to pick up Harm's car." informed Mac.

"Mic wasn't very happy that you've been gone for so long with the Commander." tattled Harriet.

"I don't know why he should be upset. I've told him I don't belong to anyone, especially him. I can do or see anyone I please and he better get over it. I gave him his ring back and told him we'll talk when I got back." replied Mac a little peeved.

"I bet he didn't like that." smiled Carolyn.

"No he didn't. I told him to leave. I went with Harm for a weekend of flying and viewing the foliage. I can't tell you how beautiful it was. The sheer exhilaration of the view and flying in the bi-plane was unbelievable. I got some wonderful pictures. You'll have to come over later this week and see them.

It was a lot of fun. I hadn't felt that good in a long time. Just being away from everything and everybody was rewarding in it's own right. I could just relax." smiled Mac.

"Sounds like you had fun." smiled Carolyn. Though Harriet wondered what she meant about being away from everyone.

"I did. I didn't want to leave. Harm told me he had the cabin for another week if I wanted to stay. He had arranged with Bud to put leave papers in for us. I took him up on it." smiled Mac.

"So what's that on your finger Sarah? I thought you gave Mic back his ring. And it doesn't look like an engagement ring to me." teased Carolyn.

"It's not an engagement ring Carolyn. And I suspect Harriet already knows that." replied Mac.

"You mean it's a wedding band?" asked Harriet pretending to play dumb.

"Yes Harriet, I'm married." sighed Mac shaking her head.

"To whom Ma'am?" asked Harriet.

"Harriet! I've been away for over two months with one particular person and you don't know whom I'm married to." replied a stunned Mac.

She knew Harriet wasn't the brightest bulb on the tree, but she was usually quite perceptive when she wanted to be.

"I'm sorry Ma'am." wailed Harriet.

"How did this come about Sarah? It's not as if you and Harm were talking to each other before you left." asked a curious Carolyn.

"Well that was the purpose of the weekend trip. To get away from everything and everybody and spend some quality time alone together talking about us. We had a good time and we talked.

We talked about what happen in Australia and what had happen when we returned. We talked it all out. We took long walks and enjoyed the scenery. Everything was perfect." sighed Mac contently.

"What happened and why didn't you make it back?" asked Carolyn.

"We were going to fly back on Friday morning, but it snowed the night before. We were stranded. We couldn't fly out. So we had to stay put. We didn't have any snow gear." answered Mac.

"So how was it that you managed to get married while you were away." asked Carolyn.

"I think Bud played a big role in that. He and Harm were looking for a mountain cabin to spend the week. Bud was the one who located the cabin we stayed in. It happened to be in Kentucky." replied Mac looking at Harriet.

"What's wrong with Kentucky?" asked Carolyn. It was a beautiful state. She had vacationed there several times in the past.

"Nothing really, but it's one of those states that has a unique cohabitation law." informed Mac.

"What does that mean Ma'am?" asked Harriet. She didn't know what the term cohabitation meant.

"It means that if you live together as man and wife for a period of time you are considered legally married." replied Carolyn.

"And in Kentucky that happens to be two months. So when Mr. Duffy came to get us he had Rev Jones with him. Courtesy of Mr. Roberts. The reverend married us." replied Mac.

"Congratulation Sarah!" chirped Harriet and Carolyn.

After work Harm and Mac went to the airfield to retrieved Harm's car. They returned to Harm's place to have dinner and talk about their future. They decided that Mac's place would be better suited because it was larger and in a safer neighborhood."

"Are you happy to be home Sarah?" asked Harm.

"Yes Harm, I am. It was wonderful to be alone with you in the cabin, but I'm happier to be here with you." cooed Mac.

"Me too Sarah. It was nice to be able to share with our friends how happy we are." smiled Harm.

"Yes it was. Did you have the opportunity to call your mother?" demanded Mac.

She knew Harm has a tendency not to inform his mother about major changes in his life. He tended to procrastinate until he forgot all together.

"Yes, I did it right after our talk with the Admiral. She was very happy for us. She knew I would eventually open my eyes to see that I had the most wonderful woman in the world right there in front of me and I would marry her." declared Harm.

"That was very nice of her to say. I feel the same way about her son." cooed Mac.

"Have you talked to Mic yet?" asked Harm.

"No, I talked to his answering machine. I asked him to meet me for lunch at Beltway Burger tomorrow. I told him that I needed to talk to him." replied Mac.

"Do you want me to come along?" asked Harm. He wanted to be there for her in case Bugme decide to be difficult.

"No, I'll be fine Harm. He'll be unhappy and upset, but I think he'll understand. I think he has always known that my heart belong to you, but was hoping I would eventually let go of you and learn to love him if I spent enough time with him.

I did love him, but not like I love you, the forever kind of love." replied Mac.

"My mother and Frank are coming for a visit on the twentieth. Maybe we can have a small private wedding with them and our friends." informed Harm.

"I would like that. It would be nice to share with our family and friends our joy of being together." smiled Mac.

"I love you Sarah, good night." whispered Harm.

"I love you Harm, good night." cooed Mac in return.

epilog

20 Dec 00

Harm's Apartment

Trish and Frank arrived at Dulles International Airport. They took a limo to Harm's place. Harm and Mac greeted them when they arrived. Trish was so happy to hear that Harm had finally came to his senses and asked Mac to marry him.

She knew Mac was a very special woman the way Harm talked about her. He was always so cheerful when he spoke of Mac. She had been waiting a long time to finally meet Mac. Harm had told her that they were getting married at the Naval Academy Chapel on the twenty third.

23 Dec 00

Naval Academy Chapel

Harm was standing in front of the altar with Keeter and the Chaplin. He was very nervous. Even though they were already married it wasn't the same as standing in front of God and family and declaring your love for most wonderful woman in the world.

The music started. The first one down the aisle was Chloe. She looked beautiful in her white dress with red roses. She was tossing rose petals as she walked slowly down the aisle.

Next down the aisle was Carolyn. She looked radiant in her peach colored dress. Her best friend was marrying the man of her dreams. She was very happy for Mac.

And finally it was Mac's turn to walk down the aisle on her uncle's arm. She looked fantastic. She was so beautiful that she took Harm's breath away. She wore a long white gown with lace trim. It was cut low in front and back to show off her beautiful figure.

She walked very slowly to Harm. She was very nervous. Her whole body was shaking. When they got to the front of the church Uncle Matt handed her to Harm. They turned to face the Chaplin.

The Chaplin conducted a beautiful service. Harm and Mac said their vows. The Chaplin pronounced them husband and wife. They shared a kiss. They had the reception at the Officer's Club. All their friend and family congratulated them and wished them a bright future.

****

_the end_


End file.
